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1 in 3 infections in our region is resistant to antibiotics WHO's Global Antibi…
1 in 3 infections in our region is resistant to antibiotics
WHO's Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report 2025 (13 Oct 2025) covers more than 23 million infections from 104 countries:
• Globally, about 1 in 6 lab-confirmed bacterial infections in 2023 was resistant to standard antibiotics.
• In the WHO South-East Asia Region, which includes India, the figure is about 1 in 3.
• From 2018 to 2023, resistance rose in more than 40% of the antibiotics monitored, by 5–15% a year.
• Resistance in Gram-negative bacteria to carbapenems and fluoroquinolones is rising, and these are critical "Watch" drugs.
• Only about half of global antibiotic use is "Access" (first-line) antibiotics. WHO's goal is 70% by 2030.
Clinical pearl: Send cultures before starting antibiotics, prefer Access-group drugs where possible, and review therapy at 48–72 hours.
Reference: https://www.paho.org/en/news/13-10-2025-who-warns-widespread-resistance-common-antibiotics-worldwide
www.paho.org
WHO warns of widespread resistance to common antibiotics worldwide
Geneva, 13 October 2025–One in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections causing common infections in people worldwide in 2023 were resistant to antibiotic treatments, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report launched today. Between 2018 and 2023, antibiotic resistance rose in over 40% of the monitored antibiotics with an average annual increase of 5-15%.